Boxing Barbie based on British champ delivers body blow to sexist stereotypes

By Emma BathaReuters

LONDON, March 6 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A Barbie doll
in the likeness of British Olympic boxing champion Nicola Adams,
complete with "boxing gloves to shatter any glass ceiling," has
been unveiled to mark International Women's Day.

Toymaker Mattel, whose Barbie dolls have in the past drawn
criticism for promoting harmful stereotypes, said on Tuesday it
hoped the Adams doll would inspire girls to achieve greatness.

The doll is among 14 new Barbies honoring
"boundary-breaking women" around the world to show the next
generation they can be anything they want to be, Mattel said.

Others in its "Sheroes" series include American snowboarder
Chloe Kim, who won gold at this year's Winter Olympics, Chinese
prima ballerina Yuan Yuan Tan and French chef Helene Darroze.

Adams said her doll was "cool" and hoped it would inspire
young girls to go for their dreams.

"Without my own role models, I wouldn't be where I am
today," she said in a statement.

"Growing up, my biggest role models were my mum and Muhammad
Ali - there were no female boxers in (the) media when I was a
kid, and I might have discovered my passion sooner if I'd seen
other women boxing."

The doll features Adams' distinctive hairstyle, and sports
boxing gear emblazoned with her trademark "Lioness" nickname.

However, the doll's body type appears to reflect Barbie's
super-slim silhouette more than Adams' muscular physique.

The doll is not available for sale, and Mattel could not say
whether it would go into production.

Several previous Sheroes, including African-American
ballerina Misty Copeland and American fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad -
the first hijab-wearing Barbie - have gone into production.

Lisa McKnight, Barbie general manager, said in a statement
that the company had chosen to honor the role models "because
we know that you can't be what you can't see."

"Girls have always been able to play out different roles and
careers with Barbie, and we are thrilled to shine a light on
real-life role models to remind them that they can be anything."

Other dolls being launched for International Women's Day on
Thursday include a Turkish windsurfer, a German entrepreneur and
a Polish journalist.

Parents and feminists have long criticized the traditional
Barbie doll, with its impossibly busty and narrow-waisted
physique, for setting an unrealistic body image for girls.

Mattel released new bodytypes in 2016 - petite, tall and
curvy - as well as a range of skintones.

A spokeswoman said the Adams doll had been designed in close
collaboration with the boxer's team.

Mattel also announced on Tuesday the launch of a series of
historical dolls that come with educational information.

The first three "Inspiring Women" are Mexican artist Frida
Kahlo, U.S. aviator Amelia Earhart, and mathematician Katherine
Johnson, who worked on the U.S. space program.
(Writing by Emma Batha, Editing by Robert Carmichael. Please
credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of
Thomson Reuters, which covers humanitarian news, women's rights,
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